Florida

Florida House committee to discuss eliminating property taxes

A Florida House select committee will meet later this month to discuss cutting or eliminating property taxes as Gov. Ron DeSantis continues pressing for action. A Thursday post from Florida Realtors said the House Select Committee on Property Taxes is tentatively scheduled to convene the afternoon of Sept. 22 and the morning of Sept. 23. […]

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Housing industry groups are fighting the surge in homeowners insurance costs

With homeowners insurance premiums expected to rise an average of 8% in 2025, according to data from Insurify, and researchers blaming these rising costs for an uptick in mortgage delinquencies, it’s clear that insurance costs are hampering homebuyers’ and owners’ already strained wallets.  “Insurance is one of those things that flies under the radar when

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Schemmel Soda Group joins Douglas Elliman in Florida

Top-producing residential real estate team Schemmel Soda Group has left Premier Sotheby’s International Realty to join Douglas Elliman’s Sarasota, Florida, office. The group is led by cofounders Joel Schemmel and Donna Soda, along with agents Sharon Chiodi and Patti Tebo. Marketing Director Katie Kurbiel and client service coordinator Preston Lane are also joining the team.

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Home purchase cancellations hit 8-year high

Nearly 58,000 U.S. home-purchase agreements were canceled in July, equal to 15.3% of homes that went under contract during the month, according to a Redfin analysis of MLS data. That marks the highest July cancellation rate since the company began tracking the metric in 2017 — and up from 14.5% a year ago. Analysts point

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Tech startup offering AI-driven property level risk modeling

San Diego-based startup FutureProof is using artificial intelligence (AI) to change the way insurers assess catastrophe risk and set premiums, a shift that could make insurance both more affordable and easier to come by in disaster-prone regions. “FutureProof started with thinking about the build environment and everyone’s homes and businesses,” FutureProof co-founder and co-CEO Alisa

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NAR faces new antitrust suit over alleged steering

A broker in Florida is suing the National Association of Realtors (NAR), along with state and local associations and MLSs, for alleged antitrust violations and steering homebuyers into using buyer’s agents.  Filed late last week by Jorge A. Zea in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida’s West Palm Beach Division, the

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The Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals pushes for condo guideline changes

Florida homebuyers are facing the same affordability challenges that other housing markets are grappling with, but with added regulatory hurdles if they want to buy a condo. The Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals (FAMP), which is hosting its annual convention this week in Orlando, is addressing those challenges head-on, looking to improve the Florida housing market

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Experts warn of ‘cycle of doom’ for last resort home insurance

A growing number of U.S. homeowners are finding their only property insurance option is their state’s last-resort program, according to a new report from the National Resources Defense Council (NDRC). Data shows extreme weather driving private insurers from high-risk areas and forcing premiums higher for everyone else. Last resort programs — known as Fair Access

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Top Miami agent Raul Santidrian joins Coldwell Banker Realty

Raul Santidrian — a veteran of south Florida’s luxury real estate market — has joined Coldwell Banker Realty’s Pinecrest/Miami office after more than a decade at Douglas Elliman Florida. Santidrian consistently ranks among top agents statewide and brings a track record that includes more than 600 closed transactions and a career sales volume in the

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Stellar MLS launches market, neighborhood reports for agents

Stellar MLS — the largest multiple listing service in Florida and Puerto Rico — has launched IO Reports, a new tool that offers subscribers access to neighborhood and market insights for any address in the U.S. The new feature — provided in partnership with location intelligence company Local Logic — gives real estate professionals detailed

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